James decided to try something new. If he was going to win it was going to be by being unpredictable, after all. If he was going to outlast Sentinel, he ought to be smart and actually, well, fight back.

He suddenly came to a stop and turned to face Sentinel, looking as if he were about to throw him again. Instead he cast a different spell, his trusted shield. It formed around him like a bubble, invisible to the eye, especially in the dark. There would be nothing but a faint shimmer, like heat off hot pavement, but nothing else to suggest it was there.

"Alright, Sentinel," he said, "Let's see what you got. Tell me, what have you observed thus far from this encounter?"

James nodded once, "Yes. Hesitation will leave you open, and allow your opponent to bring up a defense."

Well at least that had gotten through.

"You've learned the key to fighting a spellcasting opponent... but what about defending against one?", he said, and prepared his next round of attacks.

He summoned a wisp, apparently for light. It could be to blind Sentinel, which it was probably doing at that moment, or it could be for another reason that wasn't apparent yet.

"Sorry," he mumbled, his true intent not being to blind, simply preparing for his next spell. He shouldn't give up an advantage, though.

Though he was unaware that Sentinel's previous teachings could give him an advantage too.

"I teach by guiding," he said, "I guide people to come to their own conclusions. It helps them feel accomplished when they figure something out and can then apply it better. Instead of struggling to apply something how I do it, they immediately try to find a way that works for them. Does that make sense?"

James could barely see the Sentinel in the gloom, and it certainly didn't help that he was black too, blending into the shadows perfectly. If he were Sentinel, he'd try to ambush, either from behind or from the front, where his blindspots were, or from the left front, in the direction of his weak leg. It was best to prepare beforehand, and then launch an attack when Sentinel was open.

"You've come to one conclusion already," he said, "The best way to defeat a defensive gembound is to disrupt their defense before they begin. You came to that conclusion, learned from it, and now you can deal with it in the future."

Another wisp popped up, floating next to the first. Again, his intent was unclear. Perhaps he was trying to give himself the advantage of sight, hoping he could spot Sentinel before he attacked in order to gain the upper hand.

'Neither of us are attacking... perhaps he is preparing for an attack too?', he thought, shifting idly, eyeing the shadows.

James stood there for a moment, taken aback. Oh... they were just leaving. He stood there awkwardly for a few minutes, just watching the other leave.

"... Hope he learned something," he mumbled softly, sagging.

He walked off and away from the forum, off to go and see Pride or something, his wisps trailing behind, dimming until they finally just went out.